February 5, 2014

MOD WONDER WOMAN

Spy Vibers who watched Linda Carter in Wonder Woman (1975-1979) may be surprised to hear the character spent some time as a Mod agent in the 1960s. Riding the wave of swinging spies led by Emma Peel of The Avengers and Streranko's Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., DC writer Denny O'Neil redefined Wonder Woman for the times. According to DC Wiki, the character "surrendered her powers to remain in 'Man's World' (partly to assist Steve Trevor, who was facing criminal
charges) rather than accompany her fellow Amazons into another dimension so
they could 'restore their magic.' Now a mod boutique owner, the powerless Diana Prince soon
came under the wing of a Chinese mentor known as I-Ching. Under I-Ching's
guidance, Diana was trained to use her body as a weapon, learning martial arts
and weapons skills, and proceeded to undertake secret agent-style adventures." The makeover made its debut in 1968 and sported some very groovy art. The first issue cover below echoed the Op Art set design in Casino Royale (1967). And with her Mod-striped jumpsuits, Wonder Woman could have borrowed one of Diana Rigg's "Emma Peelers." Story continues.

Activist and writer Gloria Steinem criticized the new comic series and lobbied DC to return the character to its rightful place as a strong role-model for girls. Steinem spoke out publicly and put Wonder Woman on the cover of the first issue of Ms Magazine, essentially reclaiming her as a symbol for the feminist movement. Gloria Steinem later published a compilation of selected Wonder Woman stories in 1977, a collection of cover art in 1995, and took part in the 2012 documentary, Wonder Woman: The Untold Story of American Superheroines. I was one of the backers of the film. IMDB page here.

In the documentary Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, writer Denny O'Neil admitted his decision to reinvent Wonder Woman was ill-conceived. Where he thought he was empowering Wonder Woman by making her a powerful human, he came to realize he actually crippled DC's female hero by making her dependent on a male leader for skills and missions, and by giving her male-centric models of power and conflict resolution. "Boy did I screw that up," O'Neil said humbly. "My thinking, such as it was, was this: She is a superbeing
beholden to a male god. Let us make her somebody who achieves on her own. What
I did, in effect, was take the feminist icon and depower her, dial her way
down. And then to compound the sin, give her a mentor who is male… I thought I
was on the side of feminism. Sorry." O'Neil, who later became executive editor and editor of the Batman titles, was otherwise a champion in modernizing the DC universe and taking on hard topics. Together with artist Neil Adams, Denny O'Neil worked to expose societal issues like racism, hypocrisy, and drug addiction in the pages of superhero comics. Perhaps he didn't quite get Wonder Woman, but the style they created was certainly of its time and continues to serve as a fun time-capsule. Learn more: Wonder Woman: The Complete History, Wonder Woman: Feminism and Superheroes, A Golden Thread: An Unofficial Critical History of Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman Unbound, Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon. Below are some memorable covers, including the Avengers-influenced fashion for issue #182. Enjoy!

Spy Vibe

SPY VIBE

Secret agents, bachelor pads, and mini skirts! This is Spy Vibe, where the baby boom, the space race, and the cold war influenced style in the world of fashion, film, design, music, and beyond. Welcome to the secret lair of well-dressed mystery & adventure, and Sixties culture- then & now. Over two-million visitors!

Pages

Follow Spy Vibe

Search Spy Vibe

Jason Whiton

Jason Whiton is an award-winning writer, artist, educator, and the creator of Spy Vibe, a website devoted to Cold War design and pop culture that has seen nearly three-million visitors. His publications include Rolling Stone, USA Weekend, & Mort Walker Conversations. His book Spy Vibe will be released in 2017. Whiton's work as a screenwriter and filmmaker has been recognized by the Nicholl Fellowships (Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), PBS, and major film festivals and museums. His most recent piece is a music re-mix and award-winning film for Yoko Ono. Whiton's spy novel about a 1960s fashion model, MIKI ZERO, is out with agents. The story is inspired by his passion for Ian Fleming and the culture of Japan, where he lived for many years.
Jason loves creative projects & collaborations, and he enjoys helping young people to explore their lives as artists. He teaches Art in San Francisco.